Apparatus for cooling beverages



ay L 1934.. F SCHNEIBLE 1,957,081

APPARATUS FOR COOLING BEVERAGES Filed June 8, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May .1 l934 F. SCHNELBLE l 1,957,081

l APPARATUS FOR COOLING BEVERAGES Filed Julie 8, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'A s n ATTOR EYS srargs' MTN PARATUS FOR CLING BEVERAGES Frank Schneible,

New York, N. Y.

Application June 8, 1933, Serial No. 674,828

Claims.

During the period of prohibition the art of refrigeration, other than refrigeration of beverages, has made a great advance but the attention of refrigerating engineers has been diverted from the peculiar problems involved in the cooling of such beverages as beer, the acceptable quality of which is dependent in some degree upon cooling to a precise and constant temperature. With the restoration of beer as a legal and widely consumed beverage attention has been directed again to the development of suitable apparatus for use in the dispensing of such. beverages under conditions suited to the delivery of the beverage to the customer at a precise temperature which can be controlled by the dispenser under varying conditions. It has been the general object of the present invention to produce a dispensing apparatus which shall meet the demands of consumers with respect to temperature and shall be readily capable of such control as to insure the delivery of the beverage constantly at the temperature which has been determined upon as most desirable. The improved vapparatus has been designed with particular reference to the use in the dispensing apparatus of a pre-cooled brine furnished either from a house refrigerating system or from a special pre-cooling apparatus asso-- ciated directly with the dispensing apparatus. The apparatus or system in which the invention is embodied has been so designed as to make it possible to control and regulate the volume and direction of circulation of the pre-cooled brine in every part of the beverage cooling apparatus, and to make it possible to dispense at one point a beverage cooled to one preferred temperature and at another point a beverage cooled to a different preferred temperature. In the practice of the invention it is preferable to employ a brine or other cooling medium at a temperature materially lower than that desired for the beverage itself so that it may thereby become possible to build up in a refrigerating unit of relatively small capacity a reserve of the cooling medium in the primary chambers of the apparatus and thereby to enable the apparatus to carry successfully sudden or abnormal loads, while providing for the spreading of peak loads or abnormal demands over an extended period of time without loss of efficiency in the beverage cooling portion of the apparatus. Y

The invention will be more fully explained with reference to the accompanying drawings in Which it is illustrated, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in sectional elevation of the improved dispensing apparatus in association with a direct connected apparatus for the preccoling of the brine or other cooling medium.

Figure 2 is a view in' sectional elevation of the dispensing apparatus shown in Figure 1, but adapted for use of a cooling medium supplied from an independent or house refrigerating systern and on Aa larger scale.

Figure 3 is a partial view in sectional elevation, the plane of section being at right angles to the plane of section of Figure 2.

Figure e is a view in horizontal section on the plane indicated by the broken line 12.-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a view in horizontal section on the plane indicated by the broken line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figures 6 and 7 are detail views in plan and in side elevation, both partly in section,V of a brine spreader through which the brine or other cooling medium may be introduced from the pump or other source of supply into the lowermost chamber of the beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus. l

Figure 8 is a view in vertical section of a device for controlling the cw ci' the refrigerating brine through one or another of the intermediate or diiuser partitions to be referred to.

Figure 9 is an underside view of the device shown in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a top view, partly broken away, of one of the devices for controlling and regulating the ow distribution of the cooling brine through the partition which separates the beverage cooling chamber from the vbrine chamber below it.

Figure l1 is a view in section on the plane indicated by the broken line 11--11 of Figure 10. Y

Figure 12 is a top view, partly broken away, of one of the brine spreaders and its controlling devices provided for the main partitions between the lower chambers of the apparatus; and y Figure 13 is a view in section on the plane indicated by the broken line 13-13 of Figure 12.

The beverage cooling and dispensing appafirst be described without reference to the source of supply of the pre-cooled brine. Such beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus is shown as having an outer casing a within which, with an interposed insulating space-a1, is a pre-cooling brine attempering and beverage cooling structure composed, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated, of 'horizontal chambers b, b1, b2, b3 and b4, each separated from the next by an insulated partition c, except as to the chambers b3 and b4, the Ipartition c1 between these chambers being preferably non-insulated, each of the insulated partitions being formed of a sheet of bakelite or other suitable insulating material. Each of the chambers b, b1, b2 and b3 is subdivided lhorizontally by a non-insulating partition d. Provision being made for the circulation of the brine (not the pre-cooled brine supplied from an external source, but the brine which is cooled initially by contact with pipes or coils to which the pre-cooled brine is supplied) it has been found desirable to separate by insulated partitions the main chambers in which the circulating brine is cooled by contact with the primary pipes or coils to which the pre-cooled brine is supplied in order that the initial cooling of the circulating brine may be carried on most eiliciently and it has also been found desirable to subdivide each of the main chambers b, b1, b2 and b3 by a non-insulating partition in order that the circulating brine may be uniformly distributed for contact with the primary cooling coils and thoroughly mixed so that in the eventual application of the circulating brine to the beverage coils or containers the volume of the circulating brine shall be of the same temperature throughout. The conduction of heat through the non-insulating partitions assists in the attempering of the circulating brine so that when it reaches the beverage cooling chamber b4 it shall be at the precise temperature necessary for the cooling of the beverage to the desired temperature.

From Whatever source it is supplied the precooled brine or cooling medium is delivered to primary cooling coils e in the upper portions of the lower chambers b and b1. In Figure 1 is shown apparatus, to be described, designed for the pre-cooling of the brine or cooling medium, while it may be assumed that in Figure 3 the primary coils e are `indicated as connected to an independent refrigerating system.

Each of the partitions d, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, and the partition c1 as Well, is provided with jet nozzles d1 and, it may be, with other openings d2 and with a sliding valve d3, held to the underside of the partition d as by suitable bolts d4, the sliding valve member d3 having an operating handle d5 extending through the wall of the chamber and the casing. This construction provides for the diffusing of the circulating brine yin the chamber vabove the partitions and the contact of such brine with all parts of the primary coil e above it and for the control of the flow of the circulating brine through the chamber in which` the partition is placed.

Each of the insulated partitions c is provided, as shown' in Figures 1, 2 and 3 and in detaill in Figures 12 and 13, with holes c3 through which the circulating brine may pass under the control of a rotatable disc valve c4 provided with registering holes c5 and with an operating handle c. Itis also provided, over the holes c3, with a dished plate or disc c6 which is mounted with capacity for limited vertical movement 0n the neck of a nut c" with which is engaged the threaded portion of a headed spindle c, a spring e9, between the head of the spindle and the underside of the rotatable valve c4. serving to hold the nut c'I against the partition c with yielding pressure. 'Ihis arrangement forms an effective spreader and mixer for the circulating brine as it passes through each partition c. The plate c6, as will be understood, tends to fall of its own weight as the pressure of the circulating liquid falls, closing completely the perforations through the partition when there is no pressure and rising under the influence of increased pressure so that the now of the brine through the partition is controlled in accordance with the pressure under which the brine is delivered. It will be understood that the circulating brine in the low temperature chambers b and b1, where it comes in contact with the primary coils e, may be cooled initially to a temperature lower than that required in the beverage cooling chamber, whereby it is possible to build up in the low temperature chambers of a refrigerating unit of comparatively small capacity a reserve of low temperature circulating brine adequate to carry successfully sudden or abnormal loads and adequate to spread peak loads over an extended period of time without loss of eiciency in the beverage cooling chamber.

g The chambers b2 and b3, in which there are shown no primary coils e, serve as attempering chambers in which, through conduction of heat from the brine of somewhat higher temperatures in the beverage cooling chamber, the temperature of the circulating brine is raised somewhat and excessive chilling of the beverage in the cooling chamber is avoided.

v Through the provision of the jet nozzles and the spreaders the thorough mixture of the circulating brine in all of the chambers is effected and uniform mixture of allparts of the volume is assured, while through the provision of the iiow controlling devices as described the circulation of the circulating brine can be so regulated as to assure the attainment of the desired temperature results.

The partition c1, which separates the beverage cooling chamber b4 from the attempering chamber b3, is preferably not linsulated, in order that there may be conduction of heat between the two chambers. The partition cl is provided, as shown in detail in Figures 10 and 11, with jet nozzles c11 and with a rotatable valve plate c12 having perforations c13 for registration of the jet nozzles cll. The valve plate is shown as supported on the underside of the partition c1 by a headed spindle cli, with an interposed springe, and as provided also with an operating handle c16 which may` be accessible from above when the cover a2 of the beverage cooling chamber .is lifted. Two of such ow regulating devices are shown in Figure 3, a beverage cooling coil f being shown as mounted over one of such regulating devices. while a beverage cooling container g is shown as mounted over the other. A dispensing tap or faucet f1 is shown as connected to the delivery end of the coil f, the other en'd of the coil, indicated at f2, being connected to the source of supply of the beverage to be cooled.

Suitable means are provided for maintaining the circulation of the beverage cooling brine through the apparatus. As shown, there are provided in the beverage cooling chamber b4, above the beverage coils or containers, open troughs h Which are connected at one end to a header h1 from which the circulating brine, which overflows into the troughs, is conducted by a pipe h3 to a circulating pump h4 from which it is delivered through a pipe h5 and a brine spreader h5, shown or containers g is thus returned to the rst low temperature chamber b and is delivered into the same for contact with the primary coil therein and is thence caused to pass, under the pressure of the pump, through the several low temperature and attempering chambers and is iinallyl delivered again to the beverage cooling chamber at the desired temperature. i

The beverage cooling chamber is provided with a thermometer hB and with a thermostatic control device 71.9 of any suitable character by which the operation of the circulating pump h4 may be controlled automatically in accordance with the temperature of the circulating brine in the beverage cooling chamber and therefore in accordance with the temperature of the beverage cooled thereby. Such thermostatic pump control is indicated diagrammatically in Figure 1.

ln Figure l the beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus is shown in association with a brine pre-cooling apparatus located in an insulated cold chamber lc in which may be placed the keg or kegs from which the beverage is to be supplied to the beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus, one of such kegs being indicated at icl and as connected through the usual pressure i siphon tube ft2 andI pipe k3 with the beverage cooling coil f, gas pressure to eect the raising of the 'l brine to be supplied to the primary coils of the g`ducted through a pipe nl to the receiver m4.

dispensing apparatus. In the arrangement illustrated the pre-cooling of the brine in the tank Z is eected by'dry ice placed in a suitable receiver m,

" the gas ,evaporated from the dry ice being collected in a collector hood m1 and conducted therefrom through a pipe m2 to a compressor m3; The compressed gas is received from the compresser in a receiver mIk from which gas under pressure may be delivered through a pipe m5 to the Siphon in the keg k1. Another dryice receiver n may be provided to assist in the precooling or initial cooling of the brine in the tank l and the evaporated gas therefrom may be con- By the action-o the dry ice not only is the brine, with which the tank l is lled, cooled to the low temperature required, but the cold chamber itself and the kegs placed therein are also kept at a low temperature. The brine initially cooledin the tank l is drawn oi by a circulating pump o and is conducted thence by a pipe o1 to the primary coils e of the dispensing apparatus and having extracted heat from the circulating brine in the chambers b and b1 is returned tothe brine tank Z ing apparatus and being returned from the beverage cooling chamber b4 through the pipe p4 to the precooling tank l. The circulating pump o may be controlled in accordance with the temperature in the cooling chamber b4 through a thermostat a3 and a motor-controlled switch fri-connected through conductors a5 with the motor of the pump p. Check valves may be provided, as at o5 and p5, in the pipes o' and p3 to guard against drainage of the cooling medium from the system in the event of the stopping of the pumps. It will be noted that by placing the beverage pipe k3 within the pipe p4, through which the cooling medium is returned to the tank l, an initial cooling of the beverage is effected with resultant economy in operation.

It will be understood that the beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus and the pre-cooling apparatus `which is shown in Figure 1 may be ed out in the accompanying claims the invention is not restricted to the particular construction and arrangement shown and described herein.

I claim as my invention:

1. A beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus comprising a low temperature chamber, an attempering chamber, a beverage cooling chamber, means to circulate a cooling medium from the low temperature chamber through the attempering chamber and the beverage cooling chamber back to the low temperature chamber, and a beverage coole:` in the cooling chamber.

2. A beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus comprising a low temperature chamber, an attempering chamber, a beverage cooling cham'- ber, means to circulate a cooling medium through said chambers, a beverage cooler in the cooling chamber, a primary cooling coil in the low -temperature chamber, and means to supply an initial cooling medium to said primary coil.

3. A beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus comprising a low temperature chamber, an attempering chamber, a beverage cooling chamber, means to circulate a cooling medium through said chambers, a beverage cooler in the cooling chamber, a spreader to deliver the circulating medium to the low temperature chamber, and means to deliver the circulating medium to said spreader.

Li. A beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus comprising a low temperature chamber, an attempering chamber, a beverage cooling chamber, means to circulate a cooling medium through said chambers, a beverage cooler in the cooling chamber, a spreader to deliver the circulating medium to the low temperaturerchamber, means to deliver the circulating medium to said spreader, a primary cooling coil in the low temperature chamber, and means to supply an initial cooling medium to said primary coil.

5. A beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus comprising a lowtemperature chamber, an attempering chamber, a beverage cooling chamber, perforated partitions separating said chambers, means to circulate a cooling medium through said chambers in succession, and a beverage cooler in the cooling chamber.

6. A beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus comprising a low temperature chamber, an attempering chamber, a beverage cooling chamber, perforated partitions separating said chambers, means to circulate a cooling medium through said chambers in succession, a beverage cooler` in the cooling chamber, a primary cooling coil in the low temperature chamber, and means to ico supply an initial coolingl medium to said primary coil.

'7. A beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus comprising a low temperature chamber, an attempering chamber, a beverage cooling chamber, perforated partitions separating said chambers, means to control the passage of the cooling medium through said partitions, means to circulate a cooling medium through said chambers in succession, and a beverage cooler in the cooling chamber.

8. A beverage cooling and dispensing aparatus comprising a low temperature chamber, an attempering chamber, a beverage cooling chamber, perforated partitions separating said chambers, means to control the passage of the cooling medium through said partitions, means to circulate a cooling medium througs said chambers in succession, a beverage cooler in the cooling chamber, a primary cooling coil in the low temperature chamber, and means to supply an initial cooling medium to said primary coil. 9. A beveragecooling and dispensing apparatus comprising a low temperature chamber, a beverage cooling chamber, means to circulate a cooling medium through said chambers, a beverage coler inthe' cooling chamber, a perforated partition in the low temperature chamber, a primary cooling coil in one part of the low temperature chamber, and means to supply an initial cooling medium to said primary coil.

l0. A beverage cooling and dispensing appara-l tus comprising a low temperature chamber, a beverage coling chamber, means to circulate a cooling medium through said chambers, a beverage cooler in the cooling chamber, a perforated 1 insulating partition in .the low temperature chamber, a primary cooling coil in one part of the low temperature chamber, and means to supply an initial cooling medium to said primary coil.

11.,A beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus comprising a low temperature chamber, an attempering chamber, a beverage cooling chamber, means to circulate a cooling medium through said chambers, a beverage cooler in the cooling chamber, a perforated partition interposed between the low temperature chamber and the attempering chamber, means to regulate the iiow of circulating medium through the perforations of' said partition, a. primar-y cooling coil in the low temperature chamber, and means to supply an initial cooling medium to said primary coil.

l2. A beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus comprising a low temperature chamber, an attempering chamber, a beverage cooling chamber, means to circulate a cooling medium through said chambers, a beverage cooler in the cooling chamber, a perforated partition interposed between the low temperature chamber and the attempering chamber, a plate supported over the y perforations of said partition with capacity for limited vertical movement, and means to reguilate the flow of circulating medium through the perforations of saidpartition.

13. A beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus comprising a low temperature chamber, an attempering chamber, a beverage cooling charnber, means to circulate a cooling medium through said chambers, a beverage cooler in the cooling chamber, a perforated partition interposed between the low temperature chamber and the attempering chamber, means to spread and mix the rcirculating medium from the low temperature chamber in the attempering chamber, and means to regulate the ow of circulating medium through the perforations of said partition.

14. A beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus comprising a low temperature chamber, an attempering chamber, a beverage cooling chamber, means to circulate a cooling medium through said chambers, a beverage cooler in the cooling chamber, a perforated partition interposed between the low temperature chamber and the attempering chamber, a plate supported over the perforations of said partition with capacity for limited vertical movement, means to regulate the flow of circulating medium through the per- Iorations of said partition, a primary cooling coil in the low temperature chamber, and means to supply an initial cooling medium to said primary coil.

15. A beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus comprising a low temperature chamber, a beverage cooling chamber, a beverage cooler in the cooling chamber, a pump to cause a cooling medium to pass through said chambers in succession, an open trough mounted in the cooling chamber above the cooler into which the cooling medium may overflow, and means to return the cooling medium from said trough to said pump 16. A beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus comprising a low temperature chamber, a

-beverage cooling chamber, an insulating perforated partition between the low temperature chamber and the cooling chamber, a perforated heat conducting partition dividing the low temperature chamber, and means to circulate a cooling medium through said chambers.

17. A beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus comprising a low temperature chamber, a beverage cooling chamber, an insulating perforated partition between the low temperature chamber and the cooling chamber, a perforated heat conducting partition dividing the loW temperature chamber, a primary cooling coil in the low temperature chamber at one side of said conducting partition, and means to circulate a cooling medium through said chambers.

18. A beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus comprising a low temperature chamber, a beverage cooling chamber, a perforated partition between said chambers, a beverage cooler in the cooling chamber, means to control the ow of the cooling medium through the perforations of said partition, and means to supply an initial cooling medium to said chambers.

19. A beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus comprising a low temperature chamber, a.

beverage cooling chamber, aperforated partition between said chambers, a beverage cooler in the cooling chamber, means to control the iiow of the cooling medium through the perforations of said partition, a primary cooling coil in the low temperature chamber, yand means to supply anvinitial cooling medium to said primary coil.

20. In combination, a beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus comprising a low temperature chamber, a beverage coling chamber, a beverage cooler in the cooling chamber, means to circulate a cooling medium through said chambers, a tank to receive a cooling medium, means to cool the medium in said tank, and means to deliver the cooling medium from said tank to said low temperature chamber and to circulate the same through said chambers in succession.

21. In combination, a beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus comprising a low temperature chamber, a beverage cooling chamber, a beverage cooler, in the cooling chamber, means to circulate a cooling medium through said chambers, a primary cooling coil in the low temperature chamber, a tank to receive a cooling medium, means to cool the medium in said tank, means to deliver the cooling medium from said tank to said primary coil, and means to deliver the cooling medium from said tank to said low temperature chamber and to circulate the same through said chambers in succession.

22. En combination, a beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus comprising a low temperature chamber, a beverage cooling chamber, a beverage cooler in the cooling chamber, means to circulate a cooling medium through said chamber, a primary cooling coil in the low temperature chamber, a tank to receive a cooling medium, means to cool the medium in said tank, a cold chamber enclosing said tank and said cooling means, means to deliver the cooling medium from said tank to said primary coil, and means to deliver the cooling medium from said tank to said low temperature chamber and to circulate the same through said chambers in succession.

23. In combination, a beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus, a cold chamber, a tank in said cold chamber to receive a cooling medium, a dry ice cooling means to cool the medium in said tank and said cold chamber, means to deliver the cooling medium from said tank to said beverage cooling and ,dispensing apparatus, means to deliver to the beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus thev beverage to be cooled, means to collect the gas from the dry ice, and means to utilize the pressure of said gas to deliver the beverage to be cooled.

24. In combination, a beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus, a cold chamber, a tank in said cold chamber to receive a cooling medium, a dry ice coolingmeans to cool the medium in said tank and said cold chamber, means to deliver the cooling medium from said tank to said beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus, means to deliver to the beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus the beverage to be cooled, means to collect the gas from the dry ice, means to compress such gas, and means to utilize the pressure of said gas to deliver the beverage to be cooled.

25. In combination, a beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus, a cold chamber, a tank in said cold chamber to receive a coolingmedium, means to cool the medium in said tank and said cold chamber, means to deliver the cooling medium from said tank to said beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus, means to deliver to the beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus the beverage to be cooled, means to return the cooling medium from said apparatus to the tank, and means to utilize the returning cooling medium for the cooling of the beverage on its Way to said apparatus.

FRANK ifCHNElBLE. 

